Microgrid Tariffs and EVs Gain Traction in California Legislature as Session Nears End

Elisa Wood August 29, 2018

California lawmakers continue to press ahead with a clean energy agenda as they near the session’s August 31 close, advancing a microgrid bill this week and passing what Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) is calling landmark electric vehicle legislation.

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The microgrid bill, Senate Bill 1339, requires that the California Public Utilities Commission set up rates and tariffs to support microgrids. The bill progressed Monday from Assembly Appropriations Committee to the Utilities and Energy Committee.

The bill passed the Senate in a 29-8 vote in late May and underwent revision in committee July 5.

Sponsored by Sen. Henry Stern, a Democrat, the bill promotes clean energy microgrids while prohibiting utilities from issuing permits for those that use diesel backup or gas combustion.

Sponsored by AEE, the bill now goes to Governor Jerry Brown for his signature.

The electric vehicle bill affirms the California Energy Commission’s authority to perform, and regularly update, a statewide needs assessment for infrastructure build-out covering all vehicle classes, according to AEE, which sees the legislation as a key element in fulfilling the state’s goal to get five million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2030.

The electric vehicle bill, in essence, allows for better planning of a statewide build-out of charging infrastructure, according to AEE.

“This is an important step for California as it blazes the trail toward an electric transportation future,” saidAmisha Rai, senior director of California policy for AEE.

AEE recently released employment data showing that California has more than 542,000 people working in advanced energy — a figure that exceeds the number of workers in hospitals (395,419), and nearly twice as many as those working at supermarkets and grocery stores (297,167) across the state.